WHO DO SELF-HELP PROGRAMS HELP?

In 2011, the estimated profits of the self-help industry was valued at over $11 BILLION in the United States alone!

That was nearly a decade ago. It would seem that with so much self-help information available over so much time, people would be happy and productive by now. But no, the self-help industry is still growing. How is that possible?

Because self-help programs don’t really help people.

Self-help programs are supposed to improve people physically, mentally, financially or spiritually. Just give them your money and you'll be golden.

But does having a PhD, wearing a size 4 dress and sitting on a million dollars literally improve a woman?

She is a lean, intelligent millionaire but will she ever have enough money to buy spirituality?

Could that be the one thing everyone needs most, yet never be able to afford?

What kinds of help are people really looking for?

Happiness

Fulfillment

Contentment

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Security

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Approval

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Peace

People want these intangible things and try to find them in a 20 disc DVD course promising everything they ever wanted in life.

Advertisers appeal to the consumer's desire for the perfect life by telling them how imperfect they are and persuade them that no matter how much they have, it's never enough.

The self-help gurus will convince people that they are miserable, even if they are smart, fit and rich.

Miserable people are willing to spend big money to rescue themselves from their discontentment.

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But after spending so much money on trying to purchase happiness and approval, why are they still miserable?

Why do some people spend so much time and money searching for what seems impossible to gain?

Because they are foolish enough to think they can create it by themselves.

The culture promises that if they try hard enough, they can achieve anything they want.

Just do it.

You are better than you think.

Make it happen.

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Tell the story of your life the way you want it to be.

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What you focus on will become your reality!

SELF-HELP DEFINED

If people would take the time to consider what they are really looking for and where they are seeking it, they might see the fallacy.

But they don't want to see it.

Their vision is clouded by the perfect life the self-improvement gurus promise, even though it's impossible to obtain.

When you look at the definition of the phrase “self-help” it becomes almost laughable that people would spend money on products that promise to supply something that the person wants, but can’t seem to get through his own efforts.

Dictionary.com defines self help as: noun--the use of one's own efforts and resources to achieve thingswithout relying on others.

Merriam Webster dictionary defines self help as: noun--the action or process of bettering oneself or overcoming one's problemswithout the aid of others; especially, the coping with one's personal or emotional problems without professional help.

Why would people spend billions of dollars a year “buying” somebody else’s help to help themselves? Do you see the irony?

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WHAT ARE SELF-HELP SCHEMES?

Although the self-help industry is rapidly growing, it’s nothing new. It really started with a culture shift that began a few hundred years ago.

The word “self-help” didn’t come on the scene until 1831 following the “Age of Enlightenment.” This was an intellectual and scientific movement of 18th century Europe which was characterized by a rational and scientific approach to religious, social, political, and economic issues.

European politics, philosophy, science and communications were radically reoriented during the course of the “long 18th century” (1685-1815) as part of a movement referred to by its participants as the Age of Reason, or simply the Enlightenment.

This little bit of history may seem trivial, but with the Enlightenment, man lost sight of the whole purpose of life.

Gradually, the philosophy of the Enlightenment made its way around the world and is more acceptable now, even within so called “Christian” circles.

Self-help programs are nothing more than counterfeit gods.

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The goal of the self-help philosophy is to replace God with science, which helps us see why the “self-help” industry is so popular.

The “enlightened” ones rely on “reason” and only believe what they experience with their senses.

SELF-HELP FOR CHRISTIANS

Man was not created to be a self-focused being, but a God-focused being. God created man to have a loving, fulfilling, content, joyful, peaceful, secure relationship with his Creator.

It was when Adam focused on him “self” and decided to make decisions for him “self” that he thought would benefit him “self” that he rejected God and everything God had planned for him.

He wanted to be his own god, the god of “self.” And in choosing his own way, he lost the privilege to have his life fulfilled by God.

He was now going to have to find fulfillment for him “self.”

But because he wasn’t designed for that, he did not have within him “self” the ability for it.

Adam opened the door of unhappiness and misery invaded the world. To this day, all mankind is born to suffer anguish and hardship in one way or another.

It is the biblical explanation of why there is no such thing as self-help.

When people try to create something within themselves that they don’t have power to create, they will remain miserable and forever be chasing after the next self-help program, wasting time, energy and money on trying to buy happiness.

SELF-HELP IS A DECEPTIVE SHAM

All self-help programs are nothing more than schemes peddling false hope as a prescription for happiness.

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The hope offered in self-help programs is false because no program can produce meaning and happiness.

It only feeds the monster of discontent within people, which means they will buy more programs, and the cycle continues, and the self-help gurus grow richer!

It's time for you to break this vicious cycle of hope, disappointment, hope, disappointment, etc.

If your situation seems hopeless, I’m here to tell you, it is! As long as you try to improve yourself into something better, you will only suffer more disappointment.

Whenever your hope is in your “self” you will be disappointed.

THE ONLY HELP YOU'LL EVER NEED

You will not be disappointed if you turn to the Only One who offers true hope.